


To Carry

by veridian



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, sandalphon and the sister squad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:40:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15280779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veridian/pseuds/veridian
Summary: What weighs more: a ton of gold, or a ton of feathers?





	To Carry

**Author's Note:**

> i know i know i should be working on the series i have up here but im...so tired.....so here's a self indulgent little thing.
> 
> sandalphon + orchid + lyria is the best. the best

"Hey, hey, Orchid." Lyria has a devious glint in her eye as she puts down her coffee (6 teaspoons of sugar, Sandalphon notes to himself, completely muddling the taste of it).

"What is it, Lyria?" Orchid responds as she picks up her own cup (black, the way it was intended, though Sandalphon isn't sure whether or not she actually likes it).

"Altair taught me something really neat today! What weighs more, a ton of gold or a ton of feathers?"

Orchid looks up at the automaton that constantly hovers over her shoulder, as though she's consulting it. Sandalphon has never seen it speak, or even try to communicate, but Orchid seems to have an innate understanding of it, so he's learned not to question it. "They weigh the same amount," she says in her usual deadpan voice. "They're a ton."

Lyria pouts, obviously put out by Orchid's correct response. "I said the gold weighed more...I wanted to see if you'd say feathers!"

Orchid tilts her head to the side. "But you knew they were both a ton from the beginning, didn't you?"

Before Lyria can reply, Djeeta pokes her head in from the hallway. "Oh! There you are, Lyria! I'm glad you're with friends..." She sighs, scratching her head. "I'm always a little worried whenever you disappear, ever since..." She suddenly trails off, glancing at Sandalphon and then quickly looking away.

Well, this is awkward.

Lyria waves her hands, sensing the tension in the atmosphere. "No, no, it's okay! I'm okay. He's okay! We're all doing okay!" Every repetition of "okay" is increasingly enthusiastic, and Sandalphon hopes she doesn't hurt her throat. "By the way, Djeeta! I want to tell you a riddle I heard!"

"Oh yeah? Hit me."

"What weighs more, a ton of gold or a ton of feathers?"

Djeeta laughs. "Oh, I've heard this one before! The feathers are heavier."

Orchid raises a hand. "They're both a ton."

"Orchid! I was gonna say that!" Having been denied both an incorrect answer from Orchid and a chance to triumphantly announce the correct one to Djeeta, Lyria looks more put out than Sandalphon's seen in weeks.

"Yeah, but think about it." Djeeta puts a finger to her head. "With the feathers, you have to account for the weight of what you did to all those birds."

There's no way she could've meant anything by it, but Sandalphon suddenly puts his cup on the table and stands, striding out of the room without a word. Djeeta watches him leave, crossing her arms. "What's he mad about now?"

Orchid glances up at Lloyd again, then slips out of her own seat. "I'm going to talk to him." The golem follows her out, silent as ever, and Lyria and Djeeta watch them go.

"So," Djeeta says, turning to Lyria, "you wanna come to the casino with me?"

"Sandalphon. Wait. Sandalphon." Orchid is doing an admittedly poor job of calling out to him, her voice quiet and flat as usual, but after a few tries, the archangel stops, looking over his shoulder. "You're mad."

"I'll be fine," he says curtly, turning away again.

"But you're not right now." Orchid looks up at him. "Because...your feathers weigh a ton. Right?"

Sandalphon sighs and sits down, right in the middle of the hallway, and Orchid follows, kneeling on the floor. He can't help but stare at the ball joints in her knees for a moment or two before responding. "They weigh much more than a ton. It's an amount that's...unfathomable to mortals. Two thousand years of resentment, grudges, and regret. I don't even know how to put it into words."

"You don't have to," Orchid says simply. "When I don't know how to put something into words, I just don't say anything."

Sandalphon gives her an incredulous look. "Weren't you the one who followed me so you could speak to me?"

Orchid nods. "Yes. But if you just need someone to sit here while you're quiet, I'm good at that." She squeezes the stuffed animal in her arms. "I'm better at that than talking."

The silence stretches on, and eventually Sandalphon whispers something. Orchid almost misses it. "The weight of what I did to him is too much for me to bear."

"It will be okay." Orchid puts a hand on his arm. "Lloyd is really strong. He'll help you. And so will I. And Lyria, and the captain...I'll ask Apollo too. We'll all help you carry it." She nods to herself, satisfied. "Even if it weighs more than a ton, I'm sure we'll all be able to manage it."

"That isn't how it works," Sandalphon mutters darkly.

Orchid shuffles on her knees until she's directly in front of him, staring right into his eyes. He averts his gaze and Lloyd's arm snaps out and turns his head back.

"That's how it works." Orchid gives him a small smile. "That's how...that's how I can carry so much, too."

Lloyd withdraws his arm, and Sandalphon immediately runs his fingers through his hair, looking for any sign of a wound. There aren't any, something of a miracle when Lloyd's claws are so large, but Orchid's puppeteering is perfect, as usual.

"Will we have coffee again tomorrow?" she asks, as though nothing has happened.

Sandalphon stands, dusting himself off. "I certainly intend to. If you happen to be around, maybe I'll share it with you."

"Let Lloyd have a cup too." While Sandalphon stops to wonder whether Lloyd is even capable of drinking it, Orchid stands and trots back down the hallway. "Djeeta and Lyria are going to the casino. I want to go too. But I'll talk to you tomorrow, Sandalphon."

He watches her tiny figure disappear through the doorway, then realizes he's going to have to clean everything up. Grumbling, he follows her back into the room, but when he gets there, everything's been neatly tidied up, and the cups and saucers are dripping dry on a dish rack.

It's stupid, completely stupid - to be so emotional over someone taking responsibility and doing the dishes - but just for a moment, Sandalphon feels a little lighter.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu at my [twitter](https://twitter.com/duobrando) for nothing but art retweets, gacha salt, and shitposting


End file.
